Playing games 1UP at a time

Hyper Void (filled)

Hyper Void came out for current generation (and one past generation – PS3) consoles in February of 2015. Like most indie video games, it flew right under my radar. I was probably still playing Diablo III Reaper of Souls at that time. Anyway, it ended up as one of the freebies on PlayStaion Plus awhile back. Every month when the Plus games release, I add them to my library (never to be played) in hopes that one day instead of spending more money on games, I’ll reflect back upon them and strike gold with something that snuck in to their release window.

So Hyper Void got “purchased” and forgotten about. That is until I was browsing /r/PSVR and saw that the developers released a VR mode. I’m confused why that wasn’t pushed considering the PSVR just came out right around that time. Anyway I threw my headset on and jumped in the game. I was not disappointed.

A huge part of the enjoyment I get from games is the immersion. VR takes that to a whole new level. Arcade game plus VR is a huge win in my book. The game can be frustratingly hard but it is so easy to get absorbed in the world around you that I don’t seem to mind. I feel like I am inside a classic arcade style game. The graphics are simple and clean (not a Kingdom Hearts reference), but that is all they need to be. I’d be all for arcade games remade in VR.

Enough rambling, it’s time to get to the nitty gritty of why I like it so much. You are a small ship with 3 weapons. Each weapon behaves differently. You have the classic “pew pew” double laser cannons, a bigger bassier laser bomb, and a plasma stream that fires a continuous beam of energy at foes. All three of these weapons have their strengths and weaknesses. View it as a real time battle of intergalactic rock-paper-scissors, you need to decide what weapons to use against what foes for the best results. The level progression is fun, and there is a small amount of story involved, if you are into that kind of thing. The gameplay is challenging at times but it is also very rewarding, it has that “one more time” appeal when you play. The game allows you to build upon your failures, similarly to Geometry Dash. The levels stay the same, you begin to recognize enemy patterns and each time you die, you learn, you go farther. Each death feels like a small victory, there are plenty of “ah ha!” moments to be had. If you are a fan of Resogun as well, you will enjoy this.

All in all, Hyper Void is a fantastic game and if you get the chance, try out the VR mode. It goes right along side the standard game mode so any levels you unlock in VR will be playable in 2D as well.